Participants run over the Verrazzano Bridge during the NYC Marathon in New York, U.S., November 3, 2019. /CFP
A limited field of 33,000 runners will return to the starting line for the 50th staging of the New York City (NYC) Marathon in November after it was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.
"While canceling the race was the right choice in 2020, we are excited to welcome runners back to our beautiful city," Cuomo said.
"New Yorkers worked hard to flatten the curve after the COVID-19 outbreak, and it is that work that allows us to be able to take this step in bringing normalcy back to our state."
The annual event that draws thousands of cheering fans to the Big Apple will take place on November 7.
"The NYC Marathon is a reminder of everything New Yorkers can accomplish with persistence, hard work and community support," NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
"As we build a recovery for all of us, there's no better time to safely reconnect with the iconic events that make our city great," he said.
The 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) race, typically the final of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors run each year, is hugely popular with amateur runners and professionals alike and saw a record 53,627 finishers in 2019 – the last time it was contested.
New York Road Runners, which puts on the event each year, said runners will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or a vaccine and must adhere to government guidelines around travel and quarantine.
Organizers plan to use "a controllable and scalable time-trial start format" to reduce congestion at the start and finish.
River Plate players leave the field after being eliminated by Boca Juniors during the Professional League Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 16, 2021. /CFP
Five more River Plate footballers have tested positive for COVID-19, lifting the powerful Argentine club's total to 20 cases within the squad, the club said on Monday.
The impact is so high that River Plate has none of its four eligible goalkeepers fit for Wednesday's Copa Libertadores match against Colombia's Santa Fé.
River Plate issued a statement on Monday, saying Lucas Beltrán, Flabian Londoño Bedoya, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Ponzio and Alex Vigo were the latest to test positive for the virus.
The other 15 cases were revealed on May 15 ahead of the match against Boca Juniors in the quarterfinals of the Argentinian league cup. Boca won on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
(With input from agencies)